Improved construction of iron ships



UNITED STATES PATENT UEEICE..

THOMAS B. DAFT, OF MARK LANE CHAMBERS, LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO D. D. WILLIAMSON, JR, OF EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND.

IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF IRON SHIPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 50.767, dated October 31, 1865.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. DAFT, of Mark Lane Chambers, London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Construction of Iron Ships and Vessels and in Sheathing the same; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specication, in whichi Figure l represents a side elevation ot' a portion otl a vessel constructed according to niy invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same. Fig. 3 is a similar section of a m0dification of the same;

Similarletters ofreference indicate like parts.

This invention consists in constructingiron ships or vessels with grooves or gaps in the plating and filling said grooves with teak or other suitable material, so that a sheathing ot' Zinc or other suitable material can be secured to the iron plates in an easy andv convenient manner, and that by these means the iron plates can be protected against the injurious influence of the sea-water and against the impurities liable to adhere to such plates when the same are in the sea-water for a short time.

ln carrying out myinven tion I construct iron ships or vessels with plates of iron of the usual thickness and size, and upon the principle of what is termed flush-joints,77 horizontally as well as vertically, having horizontal straps on the inside ofthe plates; but I keep the edges of the plates A apart about as much as the thickness of the plates themselves, and in this way I form grooves or gaps a around each plate, into which I force dry compressed teak or other suitable materials, calking up said grooves and forming a perfectly watertight joint and fair, iiush surface. Upon this Inail metal sheathing B, driving the nails into the teak or other suitable calking.

I prefer zinc sheathing because ot' its electro-chemical qualities-viz., preserving the iron and keeping itself perfectly clean in seawater. When I employ copperor yellowfmetal as a sheathing I am careful to insulate the same from the iron by interposing a sheet ot' india-rubber or some non-conducting material, as shown in Fig. 3, and also to keep the nails short, so as not to touch the iron skin ot' the ship.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The mode ot constructing iron ships or vessels with grooves in the plating and filling said' grooves with teak or other suitable material, to which a sheathing ot' zinc or other material is attached, substantially as herein set forth.

THOMAS B. DAFT.

Witnesses:

ROBT. LINKsoN, FEEDK. HoRNBY,

Both of No. 2, Popes Head Alley, Corn/lill,

London, gentlemen. y 

